Creating video conference expos

Abstract

One example method includes receiving configuration information for a virtual expo, the configuration information includes information associated with one or more virtual expo booths; generating a virtual expo floor based on the one or more virtual expo booths; establishing a virtual meeting comprising the virtual expo; receiving requests to join the virtual expo from a plurality of client devices; joining each client device of the plurality of client devices to the virtual meeting; providing, to each joined client device, information describing the virtual expo floor and locations of each of the one or more virtual expo booths; providing a location of a respective participant avatar on the virtual expo floor; receiving, from a first client devices, a selection of a first virtual expo booth; and join the first client device to a second virtual meeting associated with the first expo booth.

That which is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 receiving configuration information for a virtual expo, the configuration information comprising information associated with one or more virtual expo booths; 
 generating a virtual expo floor based on the one or more virtual expo booths; 
 establishing the virtual expo, the virtual expo comprising one or more virtual expo booths; 
 establishing a virtual meeting associated with a first virtual expo booth; 
 receiving requests to join the virtual expo from a plurality of client devices, each client device associated with a respective participant; 
 joining each client device of the plurality of client devices to the virtual expo; 
 providing, to each joined client device, information describing the virtual expo floor and locations of each of the one or more virtual expo booths; 
 providing, to each joined client device, a location of a respective participant avatar on the virtual expo floor; 
 receiving, via a first client device, a selection of the first virtual expo booth from a first participant; and 
 joining the first client device to the virtual meeting associated with the first virtual expo booth. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a request to join the first virtual expo booth, the request associated with a first participant; 
 determining an access level for the first participant based on a first participant profile; and 
 responsive to determining the access level is sufficient for access to the first virtual expo booth, joining the first participant to the first virtual expo booth. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 obtaining a floor layout for the virtual expo floor; and 
 positioning the one or more virtual expo booths according to the floor layout. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the configuration information comprises one or more of a virtual expo sponsor, a number of virtual expo booths, sponsor information for each virtual expo booth, sponsorship level for one or more sponsors of respective virtual expo booths, or available access levels for the virtual expo. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving expo booth configuration information for each virtual expo booth, wherein the expo booth configuration information includes access levels for content available within a respective virtual expo booth. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the expo booth configuration information includes scheduled times during which a respective virtual expo booth is open to participants of the virtual expo or access levels to access a respective virtual expo booth or content available within the respective virtual expo booth. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information describing the virtual expo floor and locations of each of the one or more virtual expo booths includes information to enable a three-dimensional view of the virtual expo floor and the one or more virtual expo booths. 
     
     
       8. A system comprising:
 a communications interface; 
 a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and 
 one or more processors communicatively coupled to the communications interface and the non-transitory computer-readable medium, the one or more processors configured to execute processor-executable instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium to:
 receive configuration information for a virtual expo, the configuration information comprising information associated with one or more virtual expo booths; 
 generate a virtual expo floor based on the one or more virtual expo booths; 
 establish the virtual expo, the virtual expo comprising one or more virtual expo booths; 
 establish a virtual meeting associated with a first virtual expo booth; 
 receive requests to join the virtual expo from a plurality of client devices, each client device associated with a respective participant; 
 join each client device of the plurality of client devices to the virtual expo; 
 provide, to each joined client device, information describing the virtual expo floor and locations of each of the one or more virtual expo booths; 
 provide, to each joined client device, a location of a respective participant avatar on the virtual expo floor; 
 receive, via a first client device, a selection of the first virtual expo booth from a first participant; and 
 join the first client device to the virtual meeting associated with the first virtual expo booth. 
 
 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute further processor-executable instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium to:
 receive a request to join the first virtual expo booth, the request associated with a first participant; 
 determine an access level for the first participant based on a first participant profile; and 
 responsive to a determination that the access level is sufficient for access to the first virtual expo booth, join the first participant to the first virtual expo booth. 
 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute further processor-executable instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium to:
 obtain a floor layout for the virtual expo floor; and 
 position the one or more virtual expo booths according to the floor layout. 
 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the configuration information comprises one or more of a virtual expo sponsor, a number of virtual expo booths, sponsor information for each virtual expo booth, sponsorship level for one or more sponsors of respective virtual expo booths, or available access levels for the virtual expo. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute further processor-executable instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium to:
 receive expo booth configuration information for each virtual expo booth, wherein the expo booth configuration information includes access levels for content available within a respective virtual expo booth. 
 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 12 , wherein the expo booth configuration information includes scheduled times during which a respective virtual expo booth is open to participants of the virtual expo or access levels to access a respective virtual expo booth or content available within the respective virtual expo booth. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the information describing the virtual expo floor and locations of each of the one or more virtual expo booths includes information to enable a three-dimensional view of the virtual expo floor and the one or more virtual expo booths. 
     
     
       15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising processor-executable instructions configured to cause one or more processors to:
 receive configuration information for a virtual expo, the configuration information comprising information associated with one or more virtual expo booths; 
 generate a virtual expo floor based on the one or more virtual expo booths; 
 establish the virtual expo, the virtual expo comprising one or more virtual expo booths; 
 establish a virtual meeting associated with a first virtual expo booth; 
 receive requests to join the virtual expo from a plurality of client devices, each client device associated with a respective participant; 
 join each client device of the plurality of client devices to the virtual expo; 
 provide, to each joined client device, information describing the virtual expo floor and locations of each of the one or more virtual expo booths; 
 provide, to each joined client device, a location of a respective participant avatar on the virtual expo floor; 
 receive, via a first client device, a selection of the first virtual expo booth from a first participant; and 
 join the first client device to the virtual meeting associated with the first virtual expo booth. 
 
     
     
       16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , further comprising processor-executable instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to:
 receive a request to join the first virtual expo booth, the request associated with a first participant; 
 determine an access level for the first participant based on a first participant profile; and 
 responsive to a determination that the access level is sufficient for access to the first virtual expo booth, join the first participant to the first virtual expo booth. 
 
     
     
       17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , further comprising processor-executable instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to:
 obtain a floor layout for the virtual expo floor; and 
 position the one or more virtual expo booths according to the floor layout. 
 
     
     
       18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the configuration information comprises one or more of a virtual expo sponsor, a number of virtual expo booths, sponsor information for each virtual expo booth, sponsorship level for one or more sponsors of respective virtual expo booths, or available access levels for the virtual expo. 
     
     
       19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , further comprising processor-executable instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to:
 receive expo booth configuration information for each virtual expo booth, wherein the expo booth configuration information includes access levels for content available within a respective virtual expo booth. 
 
     
     
       20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein the expo booth configuration information includes scheduled times during which a respective virtual expo booth is open to participants of the virtual expo or access levels to access a respective virtual expo booth or content available within the respective virtual expo booth.